Wrought fence addition to prevent dogs from digging under a modified fence

ABSTRACT

An addition for a wrought iron fence to discourage dogs from digging under the resulting modified fence. The addition has a horizontal support bar affixed to the fence near the bottom of the fence. Guide tubes are vertically held to the horizontal support bar, close enough to prevent the passage of a dog between adjacent guide tubes. A spike is inserted into each of the guide tubes and driven into the ground to provide an underground barrier. The present invention is also for the process of using the addition, including the steps of attaching the horizontal support bar to the fence. Next, a spike is inserted through each of the guide tubes. Lastly, the spikes are driven into the ground to form the underground barrier. An O-ring may be placed over the spikes above the guide tubes to limit the downward movement of the spikes for use, for instance, in a gate. Also, an O-ring may be placed over the spike below the guide tube to prevent the lifting of a spike by a dog.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] As suburbs continue to be built with closely separated yards divided by fences, the problem of a dog escaping from a fenced back yard by digging under the fence is increasing. Often homeowners will dig down below a portion of the fence and insert a board to discourage such digging. The dog often then goes to another area of the fence or digs the board out of the ground.

[0002] There is, thus, a need for an easy do-it-yourself method for discouraging dogs from digging under the bottom of fences.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a fence addition which discourages dogs from digging under the fence. It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence.

[0004] The present invention is for an addition to a fence to discourage dogs from digging under the resulting modified fence. The fence is supported over the ground surface and has a bottom edge. A horizontal support bar is affixed to the fence near the bottom edge thereof. A plurality of guide tubes are affixed to the horizontal support bar, each guide tube being vertically oriented. A spike is inserted through each of the guide tubes and the lower point of each spike is driven below the ground surface. The horizontal support bar may be simply hooked over the fence and largely supported by the spikes driven into the ground.

[0005] The process of the present invention includes the steps of attaching a horizontal support bar to the fence near the bottom edge thereof. The horizontal support bar has a plurality of space guide tubes vertically affixed thereto. A spike is inserted through each of the guide tubes and the lower point of each spike is driven below the ground surface. Preferably spikes of different length are available for selection, depending upon the spacing between the horizontal support bar and the ground surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006]FIG. 1 is a front view of a modified wrought iron fence, including the addition of the present invention.

[0007]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two of the styles of the fence of FIG. 1 together with two guide tubes and spikes.

[0008]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

[0009]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along 4-4 of FIG. 2.

[0010]FIG. 5 is a front view of a gate in a wrought iron fence having an alternate embodiment of the addition of the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of one of the spikes of the gate of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A wrought iron fence is shown in FIG. 1 and indicated generally by reference character 10. Fence 10 has a pair of posts 11 and 12 to which an upper rail 13 and a lower rail 14 are supported. The fence has a plurality of vertical styles 15 affixed to rails 13 and 14. The bottom 16 of fence 10 is positioned near or above ground surface 17.

[0013] Even if bottom 16 touches ground surface 17, dogs can relatively easily dig under the bottom 16 and pass through the fence.

[0014] In order to prevent dogs from digging under the fence, an addition has been made to the fence. The addition includes a horizontal support bar 18 affixed to the fence near the bottom edge 16 thereof. A plurality of guide tubes 19 are welded or otherwise secured to horizontal support bar 18. A spike 20 is passed through each guide tube. Each spike 20 has a point 21 which is driven below ground surface 17. Preferably, each spike has an enlarged head 22 which limits the downward passage of each spike when it contacts the upper surface of a guide tube 19. Preferably, spikes of different lengths are used so that if the bottom 16 of fence 10 is further from ground surface 17, a longer spike can be used. Conversely, if the ground surface is touching the bottom 16 of fence 10, a shorter spike can be used.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide tubes are preferably rectangular and the spikes are preferably cylindrical. By providing rectangular tubes, they are more securely attachable to the horizontal support bar 18.

[0016] Although the support tubes can be welded or otherwise affixed to the horizontal support bar 18, or for that matter to lower rail 14, it is contemplated that the addition can be provided as a do-it-yourself after-market addition. The horizontal support bar 18 can be provided with a plurality of hooks 23 which may be placed over lower rail 14. In the case of a chain link fence, such hooks may be simply placed within the openings in the chain link fence. By driving spikes 20 into the ground and passing them through guide tubes 19, the spikes support the guide tubes 19, which in turn support lower rail 14. Thus, the addition to the fence may be very easily applied by a homeowner to an existing installed fence.

[0017] The process of using the addition of the present invention includes the steps of attaching a horizontal support bar to the fence near the bottom thereof. The horizontal support bar has a plurality of spaced guide tubes vertically held thereby. A spike is inserted through each of the guide tubes and driven into the ground. This provides an underground barrier to discourage dogs from digging under the fence. Preferably, an appropriate spike length is selected, depending upon the distance the bottom of the fence is from the ground and also depending upon the nature of the ground. That is, if the soil in a certain area is softer or more easily dug, then a longer spike would be appropriate. If the lower rail is supported by hooks, then the process includes the steps of hooking the horizontal support bar to the fence before passing the spikes through the guide tubes.

[0018] An alternate embodiment of the spikes of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 5, a gate 24 is shown held between posts 25 and 26. The spikes 27 are held in guide tubes 19 and are supported above the surface of a concrete walk 28 by upper O-ring 29. Upper O-ring 29 tightly fits around spike 27 and abuts the upper surface 30 of guide tube 19. A lower O-ring 31 helps prevent a dog or other animal from lifting a spike and escaping. Spike 27 does not have a head since the upper O-ring limits the downward travel through guide tube 19.

[0019] The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein. 

I claim:
 1. An addition to a fence to discourage dogs from digging under the resulting modified fence, said fence being supported over the surface of ground and said fence having a bottom edge, said modified fence comprising: a horizontal support bar affixed to said wrought iron fence near the bottom edge thereof; a plurality of guide tubes affixed to said horizontal support bar, said guide tubes being vertically oriented; and a plurality of spikes, one spike passing through each guide tube, each of said spikes having a lower point driven below a ground surface.
 2. The addition for a fence of claim 1 wherein said horizontal support bar is held to the lower rail of said fence by a plurality of hooks and by the contact of the plurality of spikes driven into and supported by the ground and by contacting the guide tubes.
 3. The addition for a fence of claim 2 wherein spikes of different length are used along said horizontal support bar.
 4. The addition for a fence of claim 1 wherein said guide tubes have a square cross-sectional shape and said spikes have a round cross-sectional shape.
 5. A process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence having a bottom edge positioned adjacent a ground surface comprising: attaching a horizontal support bar to said fence near the bottom edge thereof, said horizontal support bar having a plurality of spaced guide tubes vertically affixed thereto; inserting a spike through each of said guide tubes; and driving said spike into said ground below said ground surface whereby an underground barrier is formed which provides a barrier to any dog attempting to dig under the fence.
 6. The process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence of claim 5 wherein said horizontal support bar is attached to said fence by placing hooks affixed to said support bar over portions of said fence near the bottom edge thereof.
 7. The process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence of claim 6 further including the step of selecting a spike of a particular length from a collection of spikes of different lengths depending on the spacing of the ground surface from the bottom of the fence.
 8. The process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence of claim 5 wherein said fence is a wrought iron fence having an upper rail and a lower rail and said horizontal support bar is attached to said lower rail.
 9. The process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence of claim 8 wherein a guide tube is positioned between each stile of said wrought iron fence.
 10. The process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence of claim 5 wherein each spike has an enlarged head larger than said guide tube and each spike is driven into the ground to a distance wherein said enlarged head contacts said guide tube.
 11. An addition to a fence to discourage dogs from digging under the resulting modified fence, said fence being supported over the surface of ground and said fence having a bottom edge, said modified fence comprising: a horizontal support bar affixed to said wrought iron fence near the bottom edge thereof; a plurality of guide tubes affixed to said horizontal support bar, said guide tubes being vertically oriented; a plurality of spikes, one spike passing through each guide tube, each of said spikes having a lower point driven below a ground surface; and an O-ring surrounding each of said plurality of spikes adjacent an upper surface of each of said guide tubes.
 12. The process for discouraging dogs from digging under a fence of claim 11, and further including a second O-ring surrounding each of said plurality of spikes adjacent a lower surface of each of said guide tubes. 